JBJ Soul Kitchen will be hosting the 5th annual Empty Bowls Event at its location in Red Bank on Saturday, September 7th, to help raise hunger awareness through the donations they collect from the handmade pottery bowls they’ll offer for the special engagement.
Red Bank, NJ – The bowls may be empty but the hearts are full as JBJ Soul Kitchen hosts its 5th Annual “Every Bowl Feeds a Soul” Empty Bowls event on Saturday, September 7 from 12:00 – 7:00 PM at JBJ Soul Kitchen Red Bank. Throughout the year, dedicated volunteers, students and staff from local schools along with businesses and individuals from the local community, hand-crafted ceramic bowls while partaking in an education program about food insecurity. During the event, patrons may select a bowl of any shape, size or color for a $20 Pay It Forward donation for families and community members in need at the JBJ Soul Kitchen. The restaurant will be open from 5:00 – 7:00 PM to enjoy dinner with your family and friends.
Spearheading this creative initiative for the 5th year, Mil Wexler-Kobrinski, ceramic arts professor and studio owner said, “At first when the project started, our goal was simply selling handmade pottery bowls to benefit the Pay It Forward program for someone in need to have a meal at JBJ Soul Kitchen.” As the event continued to expand, “… a community of students, artists, organizations and businesses joined our efforts. Many hands make this project work. Every bowl really does feed a soul!”
The original event was so successful that, due to high demand, the event was expanded and introduced to different communities throughout New Jersey. This year alone, the bowls were created by students, staff and teachers at the Reading-Fleming Intermediate School in Flemington, NJ where they adopted the JBJ Soul Kitchen mission and created a year-long program to teach students about hunger in NJ. Brookdale Community College and Ocean County College also hosted Mil as she participated in events for the New Jersey Teen Arts Council.
Marylou Caputo, Community Program Manager at JBJ Soul Kitchen Red Bank, illustrates the meaning behind this creative event, “Empty Bowls is an event that signifies that “Every Bowl Feeds A Soul” is a project that not only creates unique and beautiful pottery bowls but provides a meal for those in need at JBJ Soul Kitchen.” Marylou has assisted in the expansion of the event over the years, “…this a very special day that supports JBJ Soul Kitchen’s mission to alleviate hunger in our community.”
Bowls are available at JBJ Soul Kitchen (207 Monmouth Street, Red Bank) on September 7 while
supplies last.ABOUT THE JBJ SOUL KITCHEN
The JBJ Soul Kitchen, a program of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, 501(c)3, seeks to provide healthy, locally grown food in a restaurant setting to an in-need and paying customer to address issues of food insecurity. We empower individuals by providing resources and volunteer opportunities. We encourage our paying customers to affect change in their community by paying it forward to cover the cost of in-need customers. We promise to treat all our customers with dignity and respect while uniting communities and forming healthy and lasting relationships through food. For more information please visit http://www.JBJSoulKitchen.org.
This event will run from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM over at JBJ Soul Kitchen on 207 Monmouth Street in Red Bank, NJ.
source: JBJ Soul Kitchen
